The
President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of
Congress July 9, 1918 (amended by an act of July 25, 1963), takes
pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Staff Sergeant Christopher G.
Baradat, United States Air Force, for gallantry in connection with
military operations against an armed enemy of the United States in Sono
Valley, Sheltan District, Kunar Province, Afghanistan, on 6 April 2013.
On that day, while attached to a United States Special Forces Team,
Sergeant Baradat displayed extraordinary bravery and complete disregard
for his own safety as he and his teammates responded as a quick
reactionary force for a pinned down coalition element. Upon
notification, Sergeant Baradat, his Special Forces Team and attached
Afghan forces sprang into action entering the treacherous Sono Valley,
a known sanctuary for Taliban and Al Qaeda militants. As Sergeant
Baradat and his team moved through the tight valley on foot, they came
under heavy enemy attack as they closed to within 800 meters of the
pinned down element. Sergeant Baradat charged through a hail of enemy
gunfire, engaging insurgent positions with 30-mm. gun runs from an A-10
aircraft before taking cover in a small compound with a handful of his
teammates, approximately 400 meters from the pinned down element. Once
in the compound, both ridgelines bordering the valley erupted in
gunfire, attacking both Sergeant Baradat's location and that of the
pinned down element. As he and his team hunkered down behind cover
against the heavy onslaught of enemy firepower, Sergeant Baradat
realized he could not effectively communicate with overhead aerial
assets from his protected position. With complete disregard for his own
safety, Sergeant Baradat moved to the center of the compound into
direct enemy fire in order to communicate with orbiting aircraft.
Ignoring repeated shouts from his teammate to take cover, over the next
three hours Sergeant Baradat calmly directed lethal engagements from
A-10 and AC-130 aircraft onto 13 enemy fighting positions consisting of
over 100 fighters, while ignoring enemy machine gun rounds impacting
all around him, spraying him with dirt. When all friendly forces
consolidated and egressed the valley, Sergeant Baradat once again
showed incredible bravery when he purposefully jumped onto the running
board of the vehicle where he was continuously exposed to enemy fire so
he could maintain communications. With rounds again impacting all
around him, he continued to control AC-130 and A-10 strikes to destroy
the enemy attempting to cut off the coalition forces. Sergeant
Baradat's heroic and selfless actions directly resulted in over 50
enemy fighters killed, while saving the lives of over 150 friendly
personnel. By his gallantry and devotion to duty, Sergeant Baradat has
reflected great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.

Airman to receive Air Force Cross for valor in Afghanistan

Air
Force Staff Sgt. Christopher G. Baradat stood in an open Afghan
courtyard as dirt kicked up by enemy bullets hitting the ground around
him sprayed his uniform.

With
members of the Special Forces team he was attached to shouting for him
to take cover, Baradat instead zeroed in on the roughly 100 enemy
fighters bearing down on his teammates with sniper fire, machine gun
fire and rocket-propelled grenades.

Exposing
himself to the hostile fire to better communicate with air crews
overhead, Baradat orchestrated the supporting fire that would save the
lives of his team and the allied forces they had been dispatched to
rescue, synchronizing attacks from AC-130 and A-10 aircraft fighting
back with their own barrage of fire, including 25 mm, 30 mm, 40 mm and
105 mm munitions and 500-pound bombs.

On April 6, 2013, Baradat’s actions were credited with saving the lives of more than 150 allies, both American and Afghan.

A year later, in a ceremony on Fort Bragg, he was awarded the Silver Star, the nation’s third highest award for valor.

But
after a Department of Defense-wide review of valor awards from the wars
in Iraq and Afghanistan, Baradat is one of eight airmen who will
receive an upgraded medal, according to the Air Force.

At
a ceremony that has yet to be scheduled, Baradat will be awarded the
Air Force Cross. The honor is reserved for those who show extraordinary
heroism while engaged in military operations against an opposing
foreign force. It’s the second highest award for valor an airman
can receive, short of the Medal of Honor.

Baradat,
who separated from the Air Force in January 2016, was serving with Fort
Bragg’s 21st Special Tactics Squadron during the 2013 deployment
where his valorous actions took place.

Now living in California, he said he was humbled to receive the upgraded award.

“The
men who have previously been awarded the Air Force Cross have done
amazing things on the battlefield, and it is an honor to be a part of
that group,” he said.

Baradat
spent roughly eight years in the Air Force, deploying three times to
Afghanistan and once as part of a special CIF, or
“commander’s in-extremis force,” response force.

Looking
back on the firefight, Baradat said he simply did what he was trained
to do as a member of the Air Force’s elite Special Tactics
community, which includes combat controllers, pararescuemen and other
specially trained airmen.

“I
do not think that what I did that day was heroic; I was completely
focused on coordinating close air support as I was trained to do in
support of my team,” Baradat said. “I witnessed many heroic
acts from the Army Special Forces team, and I hope that they receive
the recognition that they deserve. I also want to thank the A-10 and
AC-130 aircrew that day. Without their support, the day would have
turned out much worse.”

The upgraded medal adds to the legacy of the 21st Special Tactics Squadron, based at Fort Bragg’s Pope Field.

The
squadron is the most decorated unit in modern Air Force history, with
10 Silver Stars and four of the seven Air Force Crosses previously
awarded for service in Iraq or Afghanistan.

The
squadron’s higher command, the 24th Special Operations Wing at
Hurlburt Field, Florida, said Baradat exemplifies the professionalism,
courage and lethality of the Special Tactics community.

“Every
day, Special Tactics airmen like Chris willingly put themselves in
harm’s way to fight and win our nation’s wars,” said
Col. Michael Martin, the wing commander. “He is an American hero
who did an outstanding job under incredible circumstances, seamlessly
integrating air power into a complex and dangerous ground
mission.”

Baradat was deployed with soldiers from the 3rd Special Forces Group and was serving in Kunar province in April 2013.

He
and his teammates, including dozens of Afghan troops, served as a quick
reaction force for Afghan allies who were pinned down by enemy
insurgents in the Sono Valley, a treacherous area known as a sanctuary
for Taliban and al-Qaida militants.

Arriving
in the valley for the rescue mission, Baradat and eight Special Forces
soldiers set out on foot ahead of their convoy of armed vehicles, which
were slowed by the narrow and restrictive terrain.

About
half a mile from the allies they were sent to rescue, Baradat and his
teammates came under fire for the first time in what would become a
nearly three-hour battle.

The
team sprinted the length of several football fields to reach safety in
a small mud compound, where Baradat began to communicate with overhead
aircraft to try to repel the attack.

Moving closer to their trapped allies, the intensity of the enemy fire increased.

Unable
to communicate with overhead aircraft while hunkered down behind a
wall, Baradat left his concealed position to direct the counterattack
from the open courtyard, ignoring the warnings of his teammates.

With
the help of six A-10s and two AC-130s, Baradat cleared the way for
members of his team to reach their allies and leave the valley, then
continued to direct the counterattack as the convoy left the valley.

“You
never know what to expect going into any combat situation, but I do
feel that the intense and diverse training that I received from some
amazing members of the Special Tactics community set me up to handle
the stress of the situation as best I could,” Baradat said.
“I was only one piece of the puzzle that day; if it wasn’t
for the extreme professionalism and fearless intensity of my Army
Special Forces team, the mission could have turned out a lot
differently.”

The
President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of
Congress July 9, 1918 (amended by an act of July 25, 1963), takes
pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Staff Sergeant Christopher G.
Baradat, United States Air Force, for gallantry in connection with
military operations against an armed enemy of the United States in Sono
Valley, Sheltan District, Kunar Province, Afghanistan, on 6 April 2013.
On that day, while attached to a United States Special Forces Team,
Sergeant Baradat displayed extraordinary bravery and complete disregard
for his own safety as he and his teammates responded as a quick
reactionary force for a pinned down coalition element. Upon
notification, Sergeant Baradat, his Special Forces Team and attached
Afghan forces sprang into action entering the treacherous Sono Valley,
a known sanctuary for Taliban and Al Qaeda militants. As Sergeant
Baradat and his team moved through the tight valley on foot, they came
under heavy enemy attack as they closed to within 800 meters of the
pinned down element. Sergeant Baradat charged through a hail of enemy
gunfire, engaging insurgent positions with 30-mm. gun runs from an A-10
aircraft before taking cover in a small compound with a handful of his
teammates, approximately 400 meters from the pinned down element. Once
in the compound, both ridgelines bordering the valley erupted in
gunfire, attacking both Sergeant Baradat's location and that of the
pinned down element. As he and his team hunkered down behind cover
against the heavy onslaught of enemy firepower, Sergeant Baradat
realized he could not effectively communicate with overhead aerial
assets from his protected position. With complete disregard for his own
safety, Sergeant Baradat moved to the center of the compound into
direct enemy fire in order to communicate with orbiting aircraft.
Ignoring repeated shouts from his teammate to take cover, over the next
three hours Sergeant Baradat calmly directed lethal engagements from
A-10 and AC-130 aircraft onto 13 enemy fighting positions consisting of
over 100 fighters, while ignoring enemy machine gun rounds impacting
all around him, spraying him with dirt. When all friendly forces
consolidated and egressed the valley, Sergeant Baradat once again
showed incredible bravery when he purposefully jumped onto the running
board of the vehicle where he was continuously exposed to enemy fire so
he could maintain communications. With rounds again impacting all
around him, he continued to control AC-130 and A-10 strikes to destroy
the enemy attempting to cut off the coalition forces. Sergeant
Baradat's heroic and selfless actions directly resulted in over 50
enemy fighters killed, while saving the lives of over 150 friendly
personnel. By his gallantry and devotion to duty, Sergeant Baradat has
reflected great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.

"You will say you were just doing your job, but you were not just doing
your job. You knew the dangers, and you did not back down," said Lt.
Gen. Eric Fiel, AFSOC commander and presiding official for the ceremony
at Pope Field.
Combat Controller Staff Sgt. Christopher Baradat received the Silver Star, the U.S. military's
third-highest decoration for gallantry in combat, for his efforts in
Afghanistan last year.

Above;
Lt. Gen. Eric Fiel, left, and Staff Sgt. Christopher Baradat stand at
attention as Baradat's narrative is read during a medal ceremony on
Pope Field. Lt. Gen. Eric Fiel will present the Silver Star, the
nation's third highest decoration for heroism during combat, to Staff Sgt. Christopher Baradat for his actions in
Kunar and Wardak provinces, Afghanistan, March 11 to April 6, 2013.

Baradat
was part of a quick reactionary force that included Green Berets and
Afghan forces who were deployed to rescue coalition troops pinned down
by enemy fire on April 6.

Moving
on foot through the treacherous Sono Valley, a known sanctuary for
Taliban and al-Qaida militants, Baradat and others were attacked as
they closed in on the pinned-down allies.

"We
knew there were enemy fighters in that valley," Baradat recalled. "But
our focus was on the rescue."

As
enemy fire struck around him, Baradat said he was focused on doing his
job.

"I
just reverted back to my training," he said.

According
to officials, Baradat charged through a hail of enemy gunfire to direct
attacks from an A-10 aircraft before taking cover in a small compound
with a handful of teammates.

Then,
despite his teammates telling him to take cover, Baradat exposed
himself to enemy fire to allow for better communication between him and
overhead aircraft.

"Ignoring
repeated shouts from his teammate to take cover, over the next three
hours Sgt. Baradat calmly directed lethal engagements from A-10 and
AC-130 aircrafts onto 13 enemy fighting positions consisting of over
100 fighters, while ignoring enemy machine gun rounds impacting all
around him, spraying him with dirt," according to the citation.

Once
all friendly forces were able to leave the valley, Baradat again showed
incredible bravery, according to the citation, as he continued to call
in airstrikes from the running board of a vehicle while under enemy
fire.

Baradat
was responsible for the deaths of more than 50 enemy fighters and saved
the lives of more than 150 friendly troops, officials said.

He
credited his teammates for allowing him to do his job and said their
presence at the ceremony meant a lot to him.

"They
were just as extraordinary," he said, saying he considers the medal a
"team award."

Baradat was with his Special Forces team as they went into a
valley to help coalition forces escape an attack. While being shot at,
for three hours he came out into the open to communicate with aircraft
and guide them to attack the enemy forces. His own safety was
afterthought he said.

"All
I could
think about was being able to do my job to help support the team and
get them out of there," Baradat explained after the ceremony. "So I
wasn't thinking about that at the time."